Elevator.



PATENTED MAR. 10,1903v w. L. HOLMAN.

' ELEVATOR;

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE WILLIAM L I-IOLMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,364, dated March10, 1903.

Application filecl September 8, 1902. Serial No. 122,557. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM L. HOLMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElevators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in elevators for raisingand lowering passengers and goods and to certain improvements wherebythe platforms or cages will be automatically locked and stopped in casethe supporting mechanism breaks or fails, or in any other case when theplatform or cage is to be stopped and held in a fixed position.

My improvements consist of a cross-shaft that spans the cage or platformand extends behind the guiding-jaws at each side. This shaft cut away orflattened at one side forms cams behind one jaw at each side, so thatwhen slightly turned it will compress the jaws against the guides withgreat force; also consists in means to turn this shaft and stop a cageor platform automatically in case the latter falls or moves at a speedgreater than intended, and in means to operate the stop or look the cageby an attendant. To attain these purposes in a practical way, I providedevices as illustrated in the drawings herewith, forming a partof thisspecification.

Figure I is an elevation of an elevator-cage for goods arranged with myimprovement, one guide-post being broken away. Fig. II is an enlargedend view of the top or main guidingjaws at one side of the cage and theparts connected therewith. Fig. III is atop view of the mainguiding-jaws, the locking-shaft, and a portion of the top cross-rails;and Fig. IV is a side view of Fig. III. Fig. V is an en larged diagramto show the manner of the cam action.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, l and 2are the main guide-posts, to which are attached the guideways 3,preferably of metal and .planed smooth on their bearing-surfaces. Themain guiding-jaws are composed of two fixed members 4 and 5, castintegrally with the plate 16 and bolted to the cross-rails 7 and 8, andthe movable members 9 and 10, that fit within the parts 4: and 5, havingangular ledges to prevent vertical movement, as seen in Fig. 11. Themovable part 9 of the jaw 4 is held outwardly by the screws 12 and 13and is elastically pressed inward by the screw 14:, that bears upon theback of a block 15, of indiarubber or other elastic substance, that inturn bears upon the back of themember 9, giving an elastic pressure. Atthe other side of the ways 3 the jaw 10, when not pressed inward by thecam-shaft 11, is held outwardly in its seat by the screws 17, that passloosely through the part 5 and are pressed outward by springs 21, thatyield when the cam-shaft acts on the jaws 10, as indicated in thediagram, Fig. V. The movable parts 9 and 10 have on their inner facesrenewable gib-lining pieces 18, made of brass or other suitablematerial, that bear upon the guideways 3 in the usual manner, and 19 isan elastic bearingblock of wood fiber or other suitable material held bya spring 20, so as to bear on the inner edges of the guideways 3 toprevent noise and lateral movement of the cage. The guidingjaws 22, endrails 23, and braces 24 are of the ordinary construction and do not needdescription, except to say that the compressing or main jaws can beplaced at the top or bottom of the cage and the jaws 22 be reversedaccordingly.

To clamp and stop the cage or platform 6, the shaft 11 is turned by alever 25, fixed thereon and to which is connected a rope 26, that isattached to the outer end of this lever 25, passes from there around apulley 27, called the governor, thence downward and around a movablepulley 28 at the bottom, and from there back to the platform 6, where itis attached to an eye or shackle 29, as shown in Fig. II. As theplatform 6 moves upward or downward the rope 26 fo1lows, turning thepulleys or sheaves 2S and 27, a weight 30 keeping a slight tension onthe rope 26, which is all the time within reach from the platform 6, asseen in Fig. I.

The pulley 27 at the top is provided with pivoted bars 31, that are heldinward within the periphery of the pulley 27 by the springs 32 so longas the speed of revolution is within a certain limit; but as soon as thespeed exceeds this limit the bars 31 are swung outward by centrifugalforce and engage the fixed bar 33, instantly stopping the pulley 27.WVhen the pulley 27 is thus stopped, the traction on the rope 26 drawsupward the lever 25 and by the cam movement, as indicated in Fig. V,presses inward the jaws and locks the cage or platform 6. To put thelever into equilibrium as nearly as possible, I apply thereon a slidingweight 37, that can be moved outward or inward to regulate theturningstring of the spring 35.

The upward movement of the lever 25 is limited by the curved extension34: striking against the cross-rail 8, and when the bars 31 aredisengaged and the lever 25 set free a coiled spring 35, attachedthereto and to a bracket 36, returns the lever 25 to its normalposition, as shown in Fig. II. This bracket, as will be seen, furnishesa middle support on the shaft 11.

It will be understood from this description that in case the platform 6should fall or move downward at too great a speed this would cause thebars 31 on the pulley 27 to swing outward and stop it and lock the cage6, as before described, and that an attendant on the platform 6 could byseizing and holding the rope 26 produce the same result. It will also beseen that there are no sliding or uncertain movements or parts to causederangement or failure in case of accident.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention and themanner of its application, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In an elevator, in combination with a cage and vertical guidewaystherefor, fixed cross members borne upon the cage, opposed clamping-jawsmovably secured to said cross members, embracing the guideway, acrossshaft, a cam on the end of said cross-shaft, bearing against one ofsaid clamping-jaws, an adjustment-screw for the opposed clampingjaw, alever affixed to the cross-shaft, a centrifugal governor automaticallyacting to arrest motion beyond a predetermined limit, and flexibleconnecting means between said lever and said governor, impartingrotation to the latter by the normal movements of the cage, whereby theclamp is operated when the motion of the governor is arrested,substantially as specified.

2. In an elevator, in combination with a cage and vertical guidewaystherefor, fixed cross members borne upon the cage, opposed clamping-jawsmovably secured to said cross members, embracing the guideway, acrossshaft, a cam on the end of said cross-shaft, bearing against one ofsaid clamping-jaws, an adjustment-screw for the opposed clamping-jaw, aresilient backing for the latter, means to hold the cross-shaft tonormal position, with clamp released, while unoperated, a lever afiixedto the cross-shaft, a centrifugal governor automatically acting toarrest motion beyond a predetermined limit, and flexible connectingmeans between said lever and said governor, imparting rotation to thelatter by the normal movements of the cage, whereby the clamp isoperated when the motion of the governor is arrested, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM L. HOLMAN. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. ENoUIsT, P. W. J. LANDER.

